I AM REPOSTING THIS IMPORTANT ARTICLE FROM THE PARENTING NEWS NETWORK.COM SITE AS I HOPE IT WILL HELP OTHER MOTHERS WHO ARE BEING ACCUSED OF HAVING PARENTAL ALIENATION SYNDROME (INVENTED BY THE AMERICAN PAEDOPHILE SELF APPOINTED PSYCHOLOGIST RICHARD GARDNER):

CONFIRMED: PROTECTIVE MOTHERS WERE RIGHTAdd comments May 092010.A special Mothers Day Article

By Barry Goldstein

For many years, protective mothers have complained about a broken custody court system giving custody to abusive fathers. The courts dismissed the complaints by saying they came from disgruntled litigants. Now, a new book based on multi-disciplinary research has confirmed that common mistakes in the custody courts have resulted in thousands of children being forced to live with abusers. Domestic Violence, Abuse and Child Custody: Legal Strategies and Policy Issues, co-edited by Dr. Mo Therese Hannah and Barry Goldstein includes chapters by over 25 of the leading experts in domestic violence and custody in the U.S. and Canada including judges, lawyers, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, journalists and domestic violence advocates. Although the writers come from different disciplines and professional experience, there is remarkable agreement that the courts’ failure to use up-to-date research is responsible for placing children at risk and undermining laws designed to prevent domestic violence.

The custody court system developed practices to respond to domestic violence allegations over thirty years ago at a time when there was no research. The courts relied on popular assumptions such as the belief domestic violence was caused by mental illness, substance abuse and the victims’ behavior. They assumed domestic violence only involved physical abuse and children were unaffected unless directly assaulted. All of these and many other assumptions relied on by the courts have proven wrong, but the court continues to use outdated and discredited practices. Even worse, after hearing misinformation constantly repeated for over thirty years the myths and stereotypes are so deeply ingrained that courts often don’t believe accurate information based upon up-to-date research because it is so different from what they have heard repeated their entire professional careers. Hopefully by putting all the research together in one volume, the book will force the courts to take a fresh look at practices that have worked so poorly for children.

Most cases are settled more or less amicably. The problem is with the 3.8% of contested custody cases that continue to trial and usually far beyond. The courts think of these as "high conflict" cases and literally they are, but 90% of these cases involve abusive fathers which is why they can’t be settled. Male supremacist groups have developed an unspeakably cruel tactic of encouraging abusers to go after the children as a way to pressure the mother to return, punish her for leaving and avoid child support. As a result, the courts repeatedly see cases in which fathers who had little involvement with the children before the separation suddenly seeking custody, but the court system has been slow to recognize the tactic or respond to it. Judges have constantly been told that children do better with both parents in their lives but not that this is untrue if one of the parents is abusive.

In the typical case, the mother is the primary parent. She complains about the father’s abuse and he counters by claiming alienation. Primary attachment refers to the parent who does most of the child care in the first couple of years of a child’s life. If the child is separated from their primary attachment figure, the child is more likely to commit suicide, suffer depression, have low self-esteem and other harmful attributes. Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to engage in a wide range of dysfunctional behaviors when they are older and their developmental progress is interfered with. On the other hand, it is common even in intact families for parents to make negative statements about the other parent and there is no research that alienation causes long-term harm to children.

At the same time, in our still sexist society, mothers continue to do most of the child care so claims of primary attachment are virtually always true and often not contested by the father. Contrary to popular myths, women rarely make false allegations of abuse so that at least 98% of a mother’s allegations of abuse in custody cases are accurate. Fathers on the other hand, are 16 times more likely to make false allegations in contested custody cases than mothers. This is not because women are so much more honest, but that most fathers in custody cases are abusers using the children to maintain control of their ex-partner and they seem to believe they are entitled to use any tactics to win custody.

Accordingly most allegations of alienation by fathers in custody cases are false. In other words the allegations by the mothers have the most consequences for the children and are most likely to be true, but the courts are paying more attention to the allegations by the fathers that are likely to be false and of little consequence to the children.

The book can be used by mothers and their attorneys to challenge the common mistakes made in domestic violence cases. One of the big problems is that because of the original mistaken assumption that domestic violence is caused by mental health or substance abuse issues, the courts have relied on mental health professionals who have little or no understanding or training in domestic violence. They rarely have any familiarity with up-to-date research and instead frequently rely on myths and stereotypes.

Although professional ethics require psychologists and psychiatrists to consult with an expert if they are handling a case involving an issue in which they lack expertise, evaluators and other court professionals routinely ignore this requirement by pretending they have expertise even with only an hour or two of training.

Evaluators often rely on psychological tests to create the illusion of a scientific basis for their opinions. These tests were developed for a population very different from the parents seen in custody court. When advocates for mothers tell courts that most abusers tend to be manipulative or mothers rarely make deliberately false allegations they respond by saying they are judging THIS case and cannot rely on probabilities. Under the best of circumstances the psychological tests are accurate between 55-65% of the time. So what happens if the mother is part of the 35-45% for which it is not accurate? Even worse factors like domestic violence or the pressure of going through a contested custody case reduce the accuracy significantly.

Furthermore, many of the tests are gender biased and criticize women but not men for the same responses. Of course the evaluators rarely inform courts of this information and most attorneys don’t know enough to raise these issues.

A critical problem that does not receive the attention it deserves is that judges and the professionals they rely on repeatedly fail to recognize domestic violence because they don’t know what to look for. Judge Mike Brigner wrote a chapter for the book in which he discusses his training of judges about domestic violence. They constantly ask him what to do about women who are lying. When he asks what they mean they refer to women who return to their abuser, seek protective orders, but don’t follow-up or don’t have police or medical reports after alleged assaults. In reality battered mothers do all these things for safety and other good reasons, but when ignorant professionals use this to discredit allegations of abuse, they have no chance to get it right.

Another common example is when judges, lawyers or evaluators watch fathers interact with the children. If the children show no fear, it convinces these professionals that the abuse allegations must be false. What the children understand is that their father would never hurt them in front of witnesses, especially someone he is trying to impress and in fact they could be punished if they showed fear. At the same time the mental health professionals are discrediting valid allegations based on information that is not probative, they tend to look only for physical abuse and miss many other domestic violence tactics that demonstrate the control and coercion he practices.

The mistaken practices give the courts little chance to recognize the father’s abuse, but it is even worse than that. The mental health professionals often use their failure to recognize domestic violence as an excuse to pathologize the mother. She is often called delusional or paranoid because she believes something they missed. This or the assumption she is deliberately trying to interfere with the father’s relationship with the children often results in extreme outcomes in which the mother is given supervised or no visitation based on the court’s mistakes.

In her chapter on retaliation and manipulation, Joan Zorza says that in light of the frequency in which courts fail to recognize domestic violence they should avoid retaliating or penalizing mothers who continue to believe the allegations of abuse after the court finds against them. This recommendation can be used to ask courts to modify orders with extreme results when there is no proof the mother is unsafe.

Some child protective agencies have participated in programs in which they work with the local domestic violence agency. The train each other and when there is a case with possible domestic violence issues, the child protective caseworkers consult with domestic violence advocates. This helps them recognize and respond more appropriately to domestic violence cases. This should be considered best practices and needs to be expanded to the custody courts.

The custody courts do a particularly bad job of responding to allegations of sexual abuse. By the time a child reaches the age of 18, one-third of the girls and one-sixth of the boys have been sexually abused. The myth is that rape and sexual abuse are mostly committed by strangers but in fact 83% of the time it is someone they know, often the father. Courts don’t want to believe a father could do something so heinous especially if he is successful in other parts of his life. Accordingly a very high percentage of sexual abuse allegations result in custody to the alleged abuser.

One of the problems is that sexual abuse of children is very hard to prove. Often there is no physical evidence particularly if the child does not reveal it immediately. Younger children may not have the language to describe what was done to them and older children may have been threatened or don’t want someone they love to get in trouble. Few of the evaluators relied on by courts have expertise in child sexual abuse. What is a mother supposed to do when the child’s behavior or other clues suggest sexual abuse? If she does nothing she is placing the safety and well-being of her child at risk, but if she asks for an investigation she can lose custody.

We have seen many cases in which a child acts out because the father violated the child’s boundaries such as by sleeping with the child. The father did not inappropriately touch the child. The issue could easily be handled by instructing the father to change his routine and it would be totally safe for the father to continue with normal visitation. This would be a win-win situation, but instead courts and the unqualified professionals they rely on assume the mother is making deliberately false allegations and so separate the child from their primary attachment figure and deny the child a relationship with her.

The book also takes on Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) which is one of the major reasons courts get so many cases wrong. Dr. Paul Fink past president of the American Psychiatric Association wrote a chapter about PAS and Nancy Erickson who is an attorney and law professor who went back to school to become a psychologist wrote about how to challenge false allegations of PAS. Richard Gardner concocted PAS based on his belief system which included many statements to the effect that sex between adults and children is appropriate. Many of his quotations are in the chapter and can be cited to judges who presumably will not want to be associated with such behavior.

There is no scientific basis to PAS and it is not recognized by any reputable professional organization. It is based on the myth that most allegations of abuse are false. Psychologists are starting to lose their licenses for using PAS because they are in effect diagnosing something that does not exist. As PAS has become more discredited, abusers and the professionals they pay to support them have started using PAS by other names such as parental alienation or just alienation. It the idea is to assume allegations of abuse must be wrong or to justify giving custody to the alleged abuser and supervised or no visitation to the protective mothers they are using the discredited PAS by another name.

Professor Garland Waller wrote a chapter about the failure of the media to cover the crisis in the custody court system. She writes about the tipping point when enough information reaches the public so that they will no longer tolerate frequent court mistakes that place children in jeopardy. We believe this book can move us towards the tipping point and hope those committed to ending the injustice in the custody court system will consider some of the following actions to help us reach the tipping point.

1. Inform the courts in your area about this book. They can find additional information atwww.domesticviolenceabuseandchildcustody.com Ask the courts to use the research in the book to train judges and other court personnel and to reform practices that the research demonstrates are working poorly for children.

2. Contact your local media to cover the crisis in the custody court system by using the research in the book to understand the harm the courts are doing to children. If you want to seek publicity for your case use the book to show the context and national problem and then your case illustrates how it played out in a local case. When there are local domestic violence stories bring the information in the book to the reporters.

3. If you have local colleges, universities or law schools in the area, ask them to incorporate the research from the book into the curriculum and to sponsor programs about the custody courts based on this research.

4. Ask local and college libraries to obtain a copy of the book. This would be particularly helpful for protective mothers who cannot afford to purchase the book.

5. Cite the book in court cases and appeals. Use the research to challenge unqualified evaluators and other court professionals and to obtain experts who can put this research into evidence.

6. Use the book to inform legislators of the problems in the court. Ask them to hold hearings and sponsor legislation to protect children and prevent abuse. We will soon have legislative proposals available based on the research in the book.

7. Work together with domestic violence agencies, women’s groups and anyone else sympathetic to the cause.

8. Come up with your own ideas. We cannot tolerate a system that continues to place children in jeopardy because they fail to use the up-to-date research now available.

Sunday, 30 October 2011

I have been told by a woman (a different woman to the last one who sent the police round my house last October) that I am harrassing her and I have done no such thing.

It seems to me that someone is making mischief, amd I am wondering if it is the same ones who were responsible last time.

I have had my social networking attacked (again) and don't know who to turn to, as the last time I told the police and showed them evidence, tried to, but they didn't want to hear my side of the story, they just "drew a line" under it all.

I am giving up campaigning against the secret family court abuse and paedophilia. I feel utterly powerless, totally out of my depth. I feel useless, and campaigning against this evil is making me ill, and I feel I have tried my best, but no-one wants to listen, so whats the point?

My own life was blighted because of child abuse. I don't know what can be done to stop organised institutional abuse, except to pray, I just don't know what else to do.

Thats all I feel I can do now. I won't be going on any more anti child abuse rallies or protests, and I have binned my yellow dress, that I used to wear, so that people could recognise me. I pray for this country, and hope that when the police arrive on my doorstep that they won't find further offence in the fact that I am a Christian, I will not give up my faith in Jesus Christ, help me God.

Some members of my family have suffered criminal attacks, and I am being spied on in my home again.

I suppose someone is paying Rentamob to trash my life.

Well, it's worked. I have had enough. I won't put my mother's life in danger. I suppose the people who orchestrated the cowardly attack on her assumed that I would not care, well I do, I love my mum, although the stinking secret family torturers did everything they possibly could to destroy my natural love for my mother.

I am stepping out now, I can't do anything to protect children from child abusers, the police will have to do that, all the good police need to get together with other good police from other forces, because quite often its the people they have at the very top who are failing to deal with the paedophiles who are tearing this country apart. The whole country is being wrecked up by a big international paedophile ring, and the police should be rounding these people up, never mind letting themselves be dragged into acting as bailiffs for a few folk wanting to get rid of a few gypsies, the police have enough to do without doing other peoples jobs for them.

I can't do anything, I am like a baby trying to fight a pack of wolves with a rattle. The police need to do their duty. If they don't, the whole fabric of law and order will collapse, because the paedophiles dont care about anything apart from their own selfish selves, as long as they get their sexual kicks, thats all they care about.

So what I am going to do on my blog from now on is to post articles for mums, because the secret family courts destroy people, so I am going to post some nice things to calm the mums who are suffering so much while trying to defend their children. The secret family courts make the mums ill, I dont know anyone who has gone through one of those secret family court trials that has not suffered mental and physical illness, and if they go to the doctors, even if they have a good GP the doctor is not able to helop them, because if they put on their record that they have suffered illness the paedophiles and human traffickers who are in the system use that as an excuse to steal their children.

So I am going to post some things that have nothing to do with secret family courts, or paedophiles, or anything horrible. But I won't stop praying for the people who are being hurt, and for my country.

Saturday, 29 October 2011

The Order of the Dragon (Latin Societas Draconistrarum) was a monarchical chivalric order for selected nobility,[1] founded in 1408 by Sigismund, King of Hungary (r. 1387-1437) and later Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1433-1437). It was fashioned after the military orders of the crusades, requiring its initiates to defend the Cross and fight the enemies of Christianity, in particular the Ottoman Turks.

The Order flourished during the first half of the 15th century, primarily in Germany and Italy. After Sigismund's death in 1437 its importance declined in Western Europe, but after the Fall of Constantinople of 1453, it continued to play a role in Hungary, Wallachia and Serbia, which bore the brunt of the Ottoman incursions.

Sigismund faced fierce struggles for power leading up to the foundation of the order in 1408. In 1387, the Bohemian royal son Sigismund of Luxembourg was elected King of Hungary and Croatia,[2][3][4] a title which he owed chiefly to his marriage to Queen Mary of Hungary in 1385, without her consent. During the next decade, he constantly sought support or employed ruthless methods to strengthen his unsteady hold on the throne. His rule was weakened in 1395 when Mary, who was pregnant, died in an accident.[clarification needed] In 1389, the Ottoman Sultan Murad I had defeated Lazar, Prince of Serbia at the Battle of Kosovo Polje, in which both leaders died. Two years later, the Turks had taken the fortress of Nicopolis. In 1396, Pope Boniface IX proclaimed a crusade against the Ottomans, and a campaign was organised to recapture the fortress and put a halt to the Ottoman expansion. Sigismund was nominally in charge; however, in the 1396 Battle of Nicopolis the French leader, John of Nevers, commanded the French half of the forces and ignored Sigismund's entreaties by charging the Turks. About 15,000 crusaders died with only a few leaders, including Sigismund, escaping. He returned to Hungary in 1401 and, facing a number of revolts, gradually resumed control and re-asserted himself as the King of Hungary. This he achieved by allying himself with the political party of Nicholas II Garay and Hermann II of Celje, in return for their military support, which enabled him to fight off domestic rivals. He campaigned against the Croats and Bosnians, which culminated in 1408 with the Battle of Dobor — fought for the possession of Bosnia — and a massacre of noble families. His pact with Hermann II was secured in 1408, when Sigismund married Herman II's daughter Barbara of Celje (also called Cilli).

On December 12, 1408, following the Battle of Dobor[5][6][7] in which he slaughtered most of Bosnia's nobility, many of whom had fought the Turks; [8] Sigismund and his queen, Barbara of Celje, founded the league known today as the Order of the Dragon.[9][10] Its statutes, written in Latin, call it a society (societas) whose members carry the signum draconis (see below), but assign no name to it. Contemporary records, however, refer to it by a variety of similar if unofficial names, such as Gesellschaft mit dem Trakchen, Divisa seu Societate Draconica, Societate Draconica seu Draconistrarum and Fraternitas Draconum.[11] It was to some extent modelled after the earlier Hungarian monarchical order, the Order of St. George (Societas militae Sancti Georgii), founded by King Carol Robert of Anjou in 1318.[10] It likewise adopted St. George as its patron saint, whose legendary defeat of a dragon was used as a symbol for the military and religious ethos of the order.

The statute of the Order, which was expanded by Bishop Eberhard of Nagyvárad, chancellor of Sigismund's court, survives only in a copy made in 1707.[10] An edition was published in 1841.[12] The prologue to these statutes of 1408 reports that the society was created:

"in company with the prelates, barons, and magnates of our kingdom, whom we invite to participate with us in this party, by reason of the sign and effigy of our pure inclination and intention to crush the pernicious deeds of the same perfidious Enemy, and of the followers of the ancient Dragon, and (as one would expect) of the pagan knights, schismatics, and other nations of the Orthodox faith, and those envious of the Cross of Christ, and of our kingdoms, and of his holy and saving religion of faith, under the banner of the triumphant Cross of Christ ..."[13]Though described in general terms, the primary representatives of "the perfidious Enemy" remained the Ottoman Turks, who continued to be problem for Sigismund's successors.[citation needed] The Order's outward focus on foreign threats was also aimed at achieving a level of domestic cohesion. The statutes go on to describe the order's symbols of the ouroboros and the red cross, which were worn by its members and gave the order its corporate identity (see below). They also list the mutual obligations of the king and his nobles. The members were to swear loyalty to the king, queen and their future sons and to protect the royal interests. Boulton argues that "the Society of the Dragon was clearly intended to serve [...] as the institutional embodiment of the royal faction its founder had created."[9] In return for their services, the nobles could expect to enjoy royal protection, honors and offices.

The creation of the order is an instance within a larger fashion of founding chivalric orders during the 14th and early 15th centuries, not infrequently dedicated to organizing "crusades", epecially after the disaster of the battle of Nicopolis (1396). Sigismund's order was particularly inspired from the Order of Saint George of 1326.[10] Another influential model may have been the Sicilian Order of the Ship, founded in 1381. A comparable order founded after the Order of the Dragon was the Order of Calatrava, founded in 1409, also dedicated to battling Turks.

Members of the order, known as "Draconists",[1] are referred to in the statutes as barons (barones, occasionally socii). They were mostly Sigismund's political allies and supporters, who were at first largely confined to the political factions of Stefan Lazarević, Nicholas II Garay and Hermann II of Celje, including such local magnates as Stibor of Stiboricz and Pipo of Ozora.[10] The initial group of inductees for Sigismund's Order numbered 21 men,[9] which extended to about 24[10] in 1418.

After some time, Sigismund chose to expand the ranks of the Order. A second group of inductees was initiated between 1431-1437.[10] As membership grew, the Order of the Dragon came to have two degrees. There was a superior class, which between 1408 and 1418 wore both the dragon and the cross as the Order's emblem and a more elaborate version afterwards.[10] The second degree had a large amount of members, and its symbol was only the dragon.[citation needed]

Following Sigismund's death in 1437, the Order lost prominence. However, the prestigious emblem of the Order was retained on the coat of arms of several Hungarian noble families, including Báthory, Bocskai, Bethlen, Szathmáry and Rákóczi.[

The original members of the Order of the Dragon in the the founding charters of 1408 were:[14]

The edict of 1408 describes two insignia to be worn by members of the Order:

" ... we and the faithful barons and magnates of our kingdom shall bear and have, and do choose and agree to wear and bear, in the manner of society, the sign or effigy of the Dragon incurved into the form of a circle, its tail winding around its neck, divided through the middle of its back along its length from the top of its head right to the tip of its tail, with blood [forming] a red cross flowing out into the interior of the cleft by a white crack, untouched by blood, just as and in the same way that those who fight under the banner of the glorious martyr St George are accustomed to bear a red cross on a white field ..." [13]The dragon described here, with its tail coiled around its neck, bears comparison to the ouroboros.[citation needed] On the back of the dragon, from the base of the neck to the tail, is the Red Cross of Saint George, with the entire image on an argent field. The Order's dragon emblem has not survived in any original form, but it has been referenced on coins, art, and in writing.

A University of Bucharest annotation to the original edict reads "O Quam Misericors est Deus, Pius et Justus" (O how merciful is God, faithful and just), which may have been officially part of the emblem.[citation needed] The various classes of the order had a slight variation of the dragon symbol. Common changes included the addition of inscriptions like O Quam Misericors est Deus ("Oh, how merciful God is") and "Justus et Paciens" ("Just and patient"). One of the highest classes may have worn a necklace with a seal,[citation needed] while a period painting of Otto von Wolkenstein depicts another type of class variation.[16]

Few historical artifacts of the Order now remain. A copy, dating to 1707, of the statutes of 1408 is the oldest known literary artifact of the society. Today, known materials are archived within the University of Budapest.

Friday, 21 October 2011

Thursday, 20 October 2011

As a Bible reading Christian, I understood it to be the assembly of people who come together to worship the creator of the earth, the universe and everything. I understood it to be the grateful assembly who love Jesus Christ.

This building in London takes its name from a man who once persecuted Christians, who even held the coats for the ones who threw stones at Stephen because they didn't like what Stephen was telling them, they didn't want to hear the truth. So they threw stones at Stephen and stoned him to death, and Paul held their coats for them while they did so. Then Paul met Jesus as he was walking along a road, and Jesus said "Why are you persecuting me?", and Paul went blind because of the brightness of Jesus. Jesus sent Paul to the people Paul had been persecuting, and they looked after him, his sight was restored and Paul was so overwhelmed by actually meeting Jesus risen from the dead that he spent the rest of his life travelling the world telling people the good news, that they could have eternal life if they wanted it, and that Jesus had risen from the dead. For this Paul himself was beaten up several times and he spent many years in jail because he refused to stop preaching.

No I know I am going to get the usual "YOU ARE A NUTTER" comments at me, because of writing this, but the truth is, this is doctrine, what I have just posted is not only in the Bible, it is also the very foundation of the Church, the Monarchy and the Common laws of this land.

St Pauls Cathedral takes its very name from this man, a Roman soldier, who lived 2000 years ago.

So what do you suppose God would like the Church's response to this anti corporate greed movement to be? Well, I believe that the Lord would want the Church to be overjoyed that so many people had felt drawn to this building, that is built for God. What a golden opportunity it is, to have such a big crowd to tell the good news of eternal salvation to! Charles Wesley would have given his eye teeth to have such a big turnout!

There is talok of closing St Paul's down, because of the big crowd of people camped outside. What are they so afraid of? Didn't St Paul tell God's children to be bold, and not afraid? Did he not tell the children of God to love one another, and to put spiritual things first? These people are sleeping in the damp and cold, because they are so outraged by the wicked crimes and corruption of 1% of individuals who are doing the V sign to God by robbing, pilfering, raping and killing.

A few years ago Rowan Williams did speak out about the Brotherhood of Freemasons who are undermining the justice system, by putting their oath of allegience to other Masons before their duty to God. Rowan Williams was attacked for daring to raise a whisper against the Freemasons.

So what should the Christian response to this be? I can't answer for other Christians, but if I saw a load of tents every morning when I came to work, I think I would want to make all the people a nice hot cup of tea to warm them all up a bit.

Starwood to open Aloft hotel at Excel London in 2011Leanne Bell , 08 June 2010

Be the first to comment on this article Starwood Hotels & Resorts is to open an Aloft hotel at Excel London ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Aloft London Excel will offer 252 rooms and is being developed by Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (Adnec), the parent company of Excel London.

The hotel is scheduled to open at the end of 2011 and will be situated at Excel London's east entrance at Royal Victoria Dock with direct access to Prince Regent Station on the Docklands Light Railway and London's International Convention Centre.

It will be the first Aloft property in the UK, and the second in Europe, following the planned opening of Aloft Brussels Schuman this autumn.

Excel London chief executive Kevin Murphy said: "We have been working closely with Starwood to bring the Aloft brand to London."

The signing of Aloft London Excel is part of an international expansion of the brand, which debuted in Canada in June 2008 and has since grown its portfolio to almost 50 hotels in the US, China, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.

Aloft properties are set to open in Belgium, India, Thailand and the Middle East over the next two years.

THE PROSPECT GROUP

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shareshare Mansoor Al Awar, Chancellor, Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University02.06.11 • Education • Dubai, UAE Dr. Mansoor Al Awar is the Chancellor of Hamdan Bin Mohammed e-University (HBMeU), a pioneer in e-learning in the Middle East. He spoke with The Prospect Group about developing a modern university from the grass roots and how a new approach to tertiary education is needed.

shareshare Cora De Conceicao-Stuart, GM, Media One Hotel15.05.11 • Tourism • Dubai, UAE Cora De Conceicao-Stuart is the General Manager of the Media One Hotel in Dubai Media City. She spoke with The Prospect Group about expanding Dubai’s hotel product offering and how the hotel industry in the emirate is evolving.

shareshare Mohammed A M Seddiqi, VP – Sales and Retail, Ahmed Seddiqi and Sons04.05.11 • Retail • Dubai, UAE Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi is the Vice President – Sales & Retail at Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. He spoke with The Prospect Group about the appetite for luxury goods in the UAE today and running a family business in a globalized economy.

shareshare Lance de Masi, President, The American University in Dubai02.05.11 • Education • Dubai, UAE Dr. Lance de Masi is the President of The American University in Dubai. He spoke with The Prospect Group about student demographics, what prospective students need to look for in a school in the region, and the job market for new graduates.

shareshare Shaun Parsons, Hotel Manager, The Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina01.05.11 • Tourism • Dubai, UAE Shaun Parsons is the Hotel Manager of both The Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina in the Dubai Marina. He spoke with The Prospect Group about the changing landscape of Dubai’s tourism market and expectations for the future of the industry.

shareshare Christopher May, GM, Dubai Golf14.04.11 • Sport, Tourism • Dubai, UAE Christopher May is the General Manager of Dubai Golf, which oversees Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. He spoke with The Prospect Group about how golf impacts tourism in the UAE and the challenges of running a golf course in the region.

shareshare Abdullah M Alshamsi, Vice Chancellor, The British University in Dubai13.04.11 • Education • Dubai, UAE Professor Abdullah M Alshamsi is the Vice Chancellor of The British University in Dubai (BUiD), the Middle East region’s first, research based, postgraduate university. He spoke with The Prospect Group about student enrolment trends and the job market for new graduates in the UAE.

shareshare Michel Noblet, President and CEO, Hospitality Management Holdings12.04.11 • Tourism • Dubai, UAE Michel Noblet is the President and chief executive officer of Hospitality Management Holdings (HMH). He spoke with The Prospect Group about hospitality trends in the UAE and the way the market has changed in recent years.

shareshare Malek Sultan Al Malek, Managing Director, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Outsource Zone12.04.11 • ICT, Infrastructure, Technology, Telecommunications • Dubai, UAE Malek Sultan Al Malek is the Managing Director of Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Dubai Outsource Zone. He spoke with The Prospect Group about the development and advancement of the ICT sector and how new technology is creating new opportunities for businesses in the UAE.

shareshare Omar Hefni, President, University of Dubai12.04.11 • Education • Dubai, UAE Dr. Omar Hefni is the President of the University of Dubai (UD) and a member of the board of trustees of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He spoke with The Prospect Group about running a university in Dubai and the new demands placed upon graduates in the current economy.

shareshare Thomas Murray, CEO, American Hospital Dubai12.04.11 • Health • Dubai, UAE Thomas Murray is the chief executive officer of American Hospital Dubai, a leading private healthcare provider in Dubai. He spoke with The Prospect Group about opportunities in the healthcare sector and the constraints the sector faces.

The Prospect Group is a leading global firm specializing in media, research, and consulting. We meet, and discuss the most relevant economic issues with, hundreds of the world’s leading business executives, political elites, and other influential personalities from a cross-section of industries and countries.About UsWho we are Prospects is a leading supplier of education, employment and training services. Our expertise includes careers advice for young people and adults, helping people find employment through the Work Programme, supporting schools and colleges, inspection services, independent education, event management, educational resources recruitment and much more... Read more: who we are

Partners Prospects works with other education specialists. If you are interested in subcontractor work or becoming one of our partners please contact our strategic development unit to register your interest, and we will keep your details on file for the future.

Academies and Free Schools Education Adviser FrameworkWelfare to Work - the Work Programme and similar contractsDWP ESF Provision for Families with Multiple ProblemsEarly Years Inspection

Prospects leading in education, employment and trainingProspects is a large company, working nationally and internationally in partnership with public, private and voluntary sector organisations. We manage and deliver a diverse range of education, employment and training services.

Key factsProspects employs 1,400+ staff from 70-plus bases in over 30 local authority areas. Our contracts are mainly in the public sector, with local authorities, Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, Department for Education, Department for Work & Pensions, other government departments and public bodies, colleges and schools. Our wide range of services are measured on performance.

Welfare to WorkProspects is the Prime contractor for the Work Programme, the government's largest ever initiative to help unemployed people back to work, in the South West (covering Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset). We are also a major subcontractor for the Programme in East London and in Bristol.

We are on the Department for Work and Pensions DWP ERSS (Employment Related Support Services) Provider Framework and have over 12 years experience as a supplier to DWP/Jobcentre Plus. Previous contracts include; Community Task Force Prime Contractor in Devon and Cornwall and delivering DWP and local authority welfare to work and related services in London, Birmingham, Yorkshire, South West and West of England.

Careers services for young peopleAs the largest national supplier of information, advice and guidance and careers services, we work in twenty local authority areas; providing universal and targeted services (intensive support for young people with special needs, learning difficulties and other disadvantages).

Next StepCareers information, advice and guidance for adults, Prime Contractor for Next Step in Greater London. We are a major subcontractor for the service in the Midlands and a member of the Prime Consortium for Next Step in Yorkshire and Humberside.

Ofsted inspectionOne of only two Ofsted Early Years Inspection Service providers, covering the Midlands and North.

EventsProspects Events - the largest national provider of careers and skills events including Skills London and SkillsCymru.

Executive Chairman Ray Auvray Ray Auvray is Executive Chairman of the Prospects Group and has managed the company since its foundation in the summer of 1995. In that period, Ray has grown the Group from a company holding a single contract in South London to a national organisation with a turnover of over £80 million, employing over 1,400 staff and delivering a wide range of education, training and employment services to the Department for Education, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, local authorities, schools and colleges. Before joining Prospects, Ray spent 11 years heading the London Borough of Havering Careers Service, the only local authority run careers service to win the Charter Mark Award. He understands the local authority perspective well, having served as a Basildon District Councillor, Essex County Councillor and a member of the Essex Police Authority. He has also twice stood as a parliamentary candidate. He started his career as a teacher, before moving into the Careers Service and educational administration.

Ray has served on a number of national careers service advisory bodies and is also a Board Director of several companies. He served as a Commissioner on the Government’s Youth Citizenship Commission in 2008-9. He is a graduate of Reading University and undertook further studies at the University of East London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Freeman of the City of London.

Having led the Prospects Group to its current role as a major provider of educational support services, he is keen to see it diversify further and develop a wider range of services for its customers.

Executive Chairman Ray Auvray Ray Auvray is Executive Chairman of the Prospects Group and has managed the company since its foundation in the summer of 1995. In that period, Ray has grown the Group from a company holding a single contract in South London to a national organisation with a turnover of over £80 million, employing over 1,400 staff and delivering a wide range of education, training and employment services to the Department for Education, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, local authorities, schools and colleges. Before joining Prospects, Ray spent 11 years heading the London Borough of Havering Careers Service, the only local authority run careers service to win the Charter Mark Award. He understands the local authority perspective well, having served as a Basildon District Councillor, Essex County Councillor and a member of the Essex Police Authority. He has also twice stood as a parliamentary candidate. He started his career as a teacher, before moving into the Careers Service and educational administration.

Ray has served on a number of national careers service advisory bodies and is also a Board Director of several companies. He served as a Commissioner on the Government’s Youth Citizenship Commission in 2008-9. He is a graduate of Reading University and undertook further studies at the University of East London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Freeman of the City of London.

Having led the Prospects Group to its current role as a major provider of educational support services, he is keen to see it diversify further and develop a wider range of services for its customers.

Director of Children's Services and GuidanceAlison Williams Director of Early Years Inspection ServiceSally Howells

Executive Chairman Ray Auvray Ray Auvray is Executive Chairman of the Prospects Group and has managed the company since its foundation in the summer of 1995. In that period, Ray has grown the Group from a company holding a single contract in South London to a national organisation with a turnover of over £80 million, employing over 1,400 staff and delivering a wide range of education, training and employment services to the Department for Education, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Skills Funding Agency, Ofsted, local authorities, schools and colleges. Before joining Prospects, Ray spent 11 years heading the London Borough of Havering Careers Service, the only local authority run careers service to win the Charter Mark Award. He understands the local authority perspective well, having served as a Basildon District Councillor, Essex County Councillor and a member of the Essex Police Authority. He has also twice stood as a parliamentary candidate. He started his career as a teacher, before moving into the Careers Service and educational administration.

Ray has served on a number of national careers service advisory bodies and is also a Board Director of several companies. He served as a Commissioner on the Government’s Youth Citizenship Commission in 2008-9. He is a graduate of Reading University and undertook further studies at the University of East London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Freeman of the City of London.

Having led the Prospects Group to its current role as a major provider of educational support services, he is keen to see it diversify further and develop a wider range of services for its customers.

Meet the Board

Ray AuvrayProspects Executive Chairman

Ray Auvray is Executive Chairman of the Prospects Group and has managed the company since its foundation in the summer of 1995. In that period Ray has grown the Group from a company holding a single contract in South London to a national organisation with a turnover of over £60 million, employing nearly 1,200 staff and delivering a wide range of education, training and employment services to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Learning and Skills Council, local authorities, schools and colleges.

Before joining Prospects, Ray spent 11 years heading the London Borough of Havering Careers Service, the only local authority run careers service to win the Charter Mark Award. He understands the local authority perspective well, having served as a Basildon District Councillor, Essex County Councillor and a member of the Essex Police Authority. He has also twice stood as a parliamentary candidate. He started his career as a teacher, before moving into the Careers Service.

Ray has served on a number of national careers service advisory bodies and is also a Board Director of several companies. He is a graduate of Reading University and undertook further studies at the University of East London.

Having led the Prospects Group to its current role as a major provider of educational support services, he is keen to see it diversify further and develop a wider range of services for its customers.

Kevin Beerling joined Prospects in January 2006 as Group Finance Director and has responsibility for financial reporting, facilities management, HR, ICT and legal services.

Kevin qualified as a chartered accountant in 1995 with Price Waterhouse and was admitted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales in 2006.

Prior to joining Prospects, Kevin was Chief Financial Officer of Moneybox plc, an independent operator of cash machines, where he was instrumental in floating the company on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange and subsequently negotiating a trade sale to a listed competitor.

His earlier career included four years as Group Finance Director of Ambient plc (now Touch Group plc), an AIM listed business and marketing services group, and three years as UK Financial Controller and Group Chief Accountant of the international outdoor advertising group More Group plc (now part of Clear Channel Communications).

While working at Price Waterhouse, Kevin appeared five times as the independent adjudicator on the National Lottery Saturday night TV show.

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

John Charles Baron (born 21 June 1959) is a British Conservative politician and the Member of Parliament for Basildon and Billericay.

Baron was born in Redhill, Surrey and educated at Queen's College, Taunton, Jesus College, Cambridge and at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He joined the British Army in 1984 and was a captain serving with The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and Germany. He left the Army in 1987 and became a merchant banker, working as a fund manager then director of Henderson Private Investors Ltd (now Henderson Global Investors) and Rothschild Asset Management.

[edit] Parliamentary careerIn 1995 John Baron became the treasurer of the Streatham Conservative Association. In 1997 David Amess decided not to risk standing again in his ultra marginal Conservative seat of Basildon and was successfully selected and subsequently elected for the safer seat of Southend West. Baron won the Conservative nomination to defend Basildon at the 1997 General Election, but Amess's judgement proved accurate and Angela Smith won the seat for Labour comfortably.

In November 1999 Teresa Gorman announced that she stand down at the next general election from her seat in Billericay, the neighbouring constituency to Basildon.[1] Baron was selected to defend Billericay at the 2001 General Election and he held the seat with a majority of more than 5,000, which he doubled at the 2005 General Election. He made his maiden speech on 20 July 2001.[2]

John Baron was a member of Iain Duncan Smith's frontbench team, but resigned in March 2003 in protest at Duncan Smith's support of the Iraq War.[3] He was reappointed by Duncan Smith as a health spokesman just four months later,[4] a position he held until July 2007 when he was moved to the Conservative Whip's Office.

Baron was a strong backer of David Davis in the most recent Conservative leadership election, having also supported him in the 2001 leadership contest won by Iain Duncan Smith.[5] John Baron was the only Tory among just 15 MPs[6] who voted against British participation in the attack on Libya in the Commons on 21 March 2011.

[edit] Personal lifeHe is married with two daughters.

[edit] References1.^ The Independent - Gorman to stand down at the next election2.^ Hansard 20 July 2001 col 5383.^ CNN Word - Blair wins vote for Iraq war4.^ The Guardian - War rebels return in Tory reshuffle5.^ BBC News - The Tory leadership contest - Form Guide: David Davis6.^ BBC News - The full list of how MPs voted on Libya action[edit] External linksJohn Baron MP official websiteContributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005Electoral history and profile at The GuardianVoting record at PublicWhip.orgRecord in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou.comProfile at Westminster Parliamentary RecordProfile at BBC News Democracy LiveParliament of the United Kingdom Preceded byTeresa Gorman Member of Parliament for Billericay2001–present Incumbent Persondata Name Baron, John Alternative names Short description Date of birth 21 June 1959 Place of birth Redhill, Surrey Date of death Place of death Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Baron_(politician)&oldid=434785863" View page ratingsRate this pageRate this pagePage ratingsWhat's this?Current average ratings.Trustworthy

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Saved successfullyYour ratings have not been submitted yetYour ratings have expiredPlease reevaluate this page and submit new ratings.An error has occured. Please try again later.Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Please take a moment to complete a short survey.Start surveyMaybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Do you want to create an account?An account will help you track your edits, get involved in discussions, and be a part of the community.Create an accountorLog inMaybe later Thanks! Your ratings have been saved.Did you know that you can edit this page?Edit this pageMaybe later Categories: Conservative Party (UK) MPsUK MPs 2001–2005UK MPs 2005–2010Royal Regiment of Fusiliers officersMembers of the United Kingdom Parliament for English constituenciesAlumni of Jesus College, Cambridge1959 birthsLiving peopleOld QueeniansUK MPs 2010–Politics of BasildonHidden categories: Persondata templates without short description parameter

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HENDERSON GLOBAL INVESTORSWelcome to Henderson

As a pure asset management house, we know what investors want from us: to help them achieve their investment objectives by delivering performance that meets their expectations.

Every investment decision we take has a direct impact on our clients. That is why we have structured ourselves with empowered decision-making at the heart of our business. Our fund managers are organised into compact, nimble teams, able to take decisions without the hindrance of a house-style or committee structure. Decisions are taken in a considered way – mindful of the risks yet alive to the opportunities.Henderson Group - Change of Director Information RNS Number : 2376QHenderson Group plc14 October 2011

Change of Director Information

14 October 2011

Notification is made in accordance with LR 9.6.14, that Henderson Group plc has been informed that Mr Robert Jeens has been appointed as a Non-Executive Director of JPMorgan Russian Securities plc with effect from 14 October 2011.

Matthew Purkis

Henderson Group plc

Deputy Company Secretary +44 (0)20 7818 2959

matthew.purkis@henderson.com

Henderson Group plc

47 Esplanade,

Jersey JE1 0BD

Registered in JerseyNo. 101484

ABN 67 133 992 766

This information is provided by RNSThe company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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Henderson Group (Frankfurt: A0Q9SW - news) plc

Block Listing Application

20 July 2011

Application has been made to The UK Listing Authority and The London Stock Exchange for a block listing totalling 5,000,000 Ordinary shares of 12.5p each to trade on The London Stock Exchange and to be admitted to The Official List. The shares shall rank equally with the existing issued shares of the Company.

The block listing consists of 5,000,000 shares to be issued under the Henderson Group plc Long Term Incentive Plan.

Matthew Purkis

Henderson Group plc

Deputy Company Secretary +44 (0)20 7818 2959

matthew.purkis@henderson.com

Henderson Group plc

47 Esplanade,

Jersey JE1 0BD

Registered in JerseyNo. 101484

ABN 67 133 992 766

Welcome to Henderson

As a pure asset management house, we know what investors want from us: to help them achieve their investment objectives by delivering performance that meets their expectations.

Every investment decision we take has a direct impact on our clients. That is why we have structured ourselves with empowered decision-making at the heart of our business. Our fund managers are organised into compact, nimble teams, able to take decisions without the hindrance of a house-style or committee structure. Decisions are taken in a considered way – mindful of the risks yet alive to the opportunities.

Please note that not all of the funds, products or services described on this website are available in all jurisdictions. In particular, only the US sections of this website are available to US Persons and the only investment products available to Hong Kong residents are those described under the Hong Kong section of this site. The other investment products described elsewhere on this site are not available to US or Hong Kong residents. Issued in the UK by Henderson Global Investors, the investment manager of the UK investment products referred to on this website. Henderson Global Investors is the name under which Henderson Global Investors Limited (reg. no. 906355), Henderson Fund Management Limited (reg. no. 2607112), Henderson Investment Funds Limited (reg. no. 2678531), Henderson Investment Management Limited (reg. no. 1795354), Henderson Alternative Investment Advisor Limited (reg. no. 962757) and Henderson Equity Partners Limited (reg. no.2606646) (each incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered office at 201 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3AE), Gartmore Investment Limited (reg. no. 1508030), Gartmore Fund Managers Limited (reg. no. 1137353), (each incorporated and registered in England and Wales with registered office 201 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3AE) are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority to provide investment products and services. Henderson Secretarial Services Limited (incorporated and registered in England and Wales, registered no. 1471624, registered office 201 Bishopsgate, London EC2M 3AE) is the name under which company secretarial services are provided. All these companies are wholly owned subsidiaries of Henderson Group plc (incorporated and registered in Jersey, registered no. 101484, registered office 47 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE1 0BD). We may record telephone calls for our mutual protection and to improve customer service.

Monday, 17 October 2011

The Newsletter of the British False Memory SocietyVol. 17, No. 1 – July 2009Dear Reader,Despite concerns about the recession memberswere resilient and attended anotherinteresting AGM which included a talk by DrPeter Naish on the fallibility of memory andcleverly tested our ability (or lack of it) to spota gorilla in the room. A powerful account ofwhat it is like to be an accuser’s sibling wasdelivered and we are fortunate to havepermission to present the content of that talkon page 7. Finally, we were introduced to a newbook about how memory betrays us. A reviewon page 14 gives an interesting insight.The Government’s desire for regulation oftalking therapies still exhibits signs of anuphill struggle, as the lack of consensus amongmany disparate practitioners manifests as acampaign against State intervention. Weaccept there are pros and cons in this debate.Introducing academic criteria for licensingpsychotherapists and counsellors will notregulate personal integrity, the inner ethicalstandards that reflect that integrity, or anability to be empathetic – personal qualitiescannot be taught. On the other hand, leavingregulation in the voluntary care of the therapyumbrella bodies has so far failed to ensure thatpoor practice and in some instances dangeroustechniques, are challenged, admitted and dealtwith to ensure their effects can never berepeated. There is a potentially huge benefit toour members if, as planned, the HealthProfessions Council charged with the task ofoverseeing the regulation, can fulfil itscommitment to allow third party complaints.Until now, many parents have been frustratedby the inability of the voluntary system toallow their concerns to be heard because ofconflicts with boundaries imposed by rules ofconfidentiality. A major concern remains,however, that regulation will somehow confer abadge of credibility upon regulated individuals,giving the public a false sense of security.The Newsletter of the British False Memory SocietyVol. 17, No. 1 – July 2009Regulation is not a guarantee of evidencebasedpractice purged of personal beliefs. Atherapist writes (see page 11) giving herassessment of the current situation.Science is in the forefront of news. Judges areto receive increased powers to test experts’credibility, following failures in the systemwhich have allowed unsubstantiated andunproven testimony to slip under the radarposing as expert evidence. (See page 19.) Also,care must be taken in the public domain as welearn of a clash between scientists and Englishlibel laws. Scientists fear that a recent legalruling will silence critical discussion of medicalpractice and scientific evidence. Sense aboutScience is the charity co-ordinating the campaignagainst the use of libel laws in this way.The campaign now has over 10,000 signatoriesfrom all around the world, including manyeminent scientists. It is vital that we retain theability to speak out when medical claims areunsubstantiated by empirical findings includingchallenging therapeutic practice that encouragesfalse memories.Forecasters point to a good summer; let ushope the evidence is sound.Madeline GreenhalghNEWSStatement from JerseyJersey police began searching the formerchildren’s home at Haut de la Garenne inFebruary 2008 following allegations of historicsystematic abuse. The investigationwas said, at that time, to involve more than160 victims over a 40-year period. Thismonth the Attorney General for Jersey haspublished a statement on the investigation.The importance of theevidential testThe Attorney General for Jersey highlightsthe importance of applying the evidentialtest in the decision that no charges will bebrought in respect of either of the twooutstanding files in the Jersey HistoricAbuse Investigation.In his statement dated 3 June 2009 hesaid,“A decision not to prosecute is capable ofbeing perceived as denying thecomplainant the right to be heard. Indeed,this can lead to a pressure to allow thecomplainant to have his or her day inCourt. However to succumb to suchpressure would mean that the prosecutionwas not applying the evidential test whichis its function to apply. The Courts areentitled to know that they are not facedwith prosecutions which even theprosecutor thinks will not succeed. Thecriminal justice system as a whole requireseach part of that system – police,prosecutors and Courts – to fulfil itsfunctions professionally and properly. Tocompromise the test to allow evidentiallyweak cases to proceed is not an exercise ofthe objective approach which is demandedof prosecutors by the Code on the Decisionto Prosecute. It is not fair to anyone – thecomplainants, the accused, the witnessesor the public – to do otherwise than applythe evidential test professionally andobjectively.”Corroboration by volume not found,nor similar fact substantiatedIn discussing Case 5 the Attorney Generalexplained,“Nine complainants have made complaintsagainst Mr. A, now a middle aged man whospent approximately five to six years as ajunior trainee and then employee at Hautde la Garenne in the 1970s and 1980s. Thecomplaints relate to incidents which arealleged to have taken place between 20 and30 years ago. Four of them containedallegations of different types of sexualoffending, some of it of the most seriousnature; all but two were alleged to havetaken place at Haut de la Garenne. Thepolice have conducted a very thorough anddetailed investigation tracing andinterviewing all known witnesses beforesubmitting the papers to the independentlawyers instructed by the AttorneyGeneral. In none of the cases is thecomplaint corroborated by any independentevidence, and none of the complaints issufficiently similar in nature to suggestthat they might supply mutualcorroboration.In two cases, the employment records showthat the complainants were not at Haut dela Garenne at the same time as Mr. A. Intwo of the cases, the makers of thestatements were not those against whomthe alleged crimes were committed, thealleged victims no longer being alive.”The papers were carefully evaluated bylawyers, a senior lawyer in the LawOfficers’ Department and by the AttorneyGeneral. None of the lawyers who looked atthe matter considered the evidential testwas passed.The report goes on to discuss the reinvestigationof Case 6 which was first consideredand formally abandoned by the Crown in1998. The considerations for restarting aprosecution are covered in the AttorneyGeneral’s statement which can be found athttp://www.thisisjersey.com/wp-content/BFMS Newsletter – Vol. 17, No. 1 3encourage the use of the courts to silencecritics.”Dr Singh has announced that he is toappeal the decision.To find out more go to www.senseaboutscience.org.uk***Psychodynamic Therapiesrejected in SwedenThe National Board of Health and Welfarein Sweden has decided that psychodynamictherapies must disappear from all tax-aidclinics and hospitals whether they belongto municipalities, administrative provinces,or the State.It is implied that the same should be trueof private clinics and hospitals. But forprivate institutions there will be legal complications.It is not yet known how speedythe implementation will be.This news has been received from Max Scharnberg,Associate Professor, Uppsala University.***Expert OpinionMemory expert, Professor Martin Conway,recently gave evidence for the defence inan appeal case involving two former soldiersjailed for historic sexual abuseagainst children.Professor Conway explained to the courtthat memories going back to the age ofseven were a “fuzzy boundary” in the areaof impaired memory. He told the court thatone of the alleged victim’s graphic accountsof abuse involved an “exaggeration of thespecificity of events”. He went on to saythat memories and experiences typicallycontained fragmented details rather than“cohesive, fluid, total sequences”.This and other legal issues lead to the soldiers’convictions being quashed.Source: BBC News Northern Ireland, 3, April 2009uploads/2009/06/stmgena-041-ag-pressstatement1.pdfThe Attorney General admitted that thedecision not to prosecute in these cases wasa hard one but that taking into account thelegal principles it was the right oneCongratulations to the Panorama team and to all those involved in helping to highlight the issue of false allegations of child sexual abuse and the travesty of justice. Many find it hard to believe that anyone would want to claim that abuse has occurred if it has not. The Panorama programme reported on the powerful lure of compensation, it did not however touch on the difficult fact that depressed and vulnerable individuals can come to believe that they have abusive pasts when this is untrue. Decades delayed, retrospective allegations of childhood sexual abuse made by an adult, for the first time often with no prior knowledge of the abuse, have been causing devastation to accused families since the early 1990s. This phenomenon led to the formation of the charity, The British False Memory Society which has contact with fathers and mothers and other relatives who are falsely accused of the most heinous crime of childhood sexual abuse. The BFMS website is at www.bfms.org.uk and we can be contacted from there. Madeline Greenhalgh, Director BFMSBradford on Avon Hello I cannot sit back and allow what I personally believe is a grave situation in the justice system of this country. There is a strong possibility Mr.Shuttleworth is being targeted by people who will do just about anything for money. I personally was visited in my own home by police officers wishing to interview me about so called abuse at an approved school where I was from 1966 to 68, and was told that this or that named care worker was as put to me AT IT, if I was inclined to be dishonest the names were already available to me. It may be hard for some people to believe that any person would want money so bad but these boys now men are mostly not your average pillars of society, I said this to the police and I say it again I never saw or suspected any care worker of any sexual misconduct and I hope that anyone making allegations is doing it for the right reasons although in some cases I have my doubts. I wonder if money has a bigger bearing than they think. JohnSt. Helens

Freud?s troubled childrenTerry Philpot - 26 May 2007First it was parents, then social workers and teachers. Now it is clergy who have had accusations of child sexual abuse made against them, based solely on ‘recovered' memories. But with psychologists still divided as to whether these recollections are genuine or not, how can a court investigating truth trust these shadows of the past?Can the mind remember to forget? Behind this seeming paradox lies a debate that befuddles much discussion about child sexual abuse. Last month, Fr Stanislaus Hobbs, a 76-year-old priest at Ealing Abbey, London, became the latest person to be charged with sexual abuse when his accuser claimed to have remembered a forgotten incident. Fr Hobbs was acquitted after the claimant, a 30-year-old senior journalist, said that the monk had abused him when a teenager, the memory of which was said to have been triggered by a sexual experience many years later between the accuser and his girlfriend. Such claims have been put down, at times, to the working of Freud's theory of repression, a defence mechanism that forces unpalatable experiences, which the mind cannot deal with, into the unconscious. The antithesis of this (and, indeed, of the whole idea that people can forget anything traumatic) has been stated bluntly by Professor Elizabeth Loftus, the American psychologist: "When people have been abused in their childhood, their problem is not that they can't remember, but that they can't forget."Repression is now frequently dismissed by many clinicians, even those who disagree with Professor Loftus' general thesis. Dr Chris Brewin, Professor of Clinical Psychology at University College London, makes a distinction between "the observation that people forget" and the "theoretical mechanisms of dissociation and repression that are very difficult to prove". Suppressed memories are about events that are supposed to have occurred many years, even decades, in the past. Yet the accuracy even of memories that have always been conscious but refer back so far has led some to doubt their soundness. This is something occasionally raised when bringing alleged Nazi war criminals to trial.How memory works is, after all, not straightforward. It can be unreliable and the most vivid and detailed memories can be based on inaccurate recall. When we do remember, it is not like a film re-running in our minds. Memory can work imperfectly, and can embellish and retell rather than bring forth an unvarnished version of the past. This is not to say that memory is not to be trusted; rather that its validity can be disputed when there is no corroboration through another's testimony or material evidence. The British False Memory Society was established in 1992 in part to combat what it sees as the injustice of accusations (and sometimes wrongful convictions) suffered by those said, on the basis of recovered or repressed memories, to be guilty of sexual abuse. The society claims that there are no corroborated cases. When it was put to Madeline Greenhalgh, director of the BFMS, that, in fact, hundreds of studies of corroboration have been published, she replied: "The alleged corroboration might be from a sibling but accepting this as evidence is flawed. I believe it is exceptionally difficult to measure the accuracy of any case which claims to be a ‘recovered memory' case because of the problem of semantics, genuine recall difficulties and the ease with which a vulnerable individual can come to believe in a history of abuse from a certain point in their lives and yet describe this as ‘an always known' history, because they say they ‘always knew something was wrong but didn't know what it was'." There have, indeed, been "false memories" and injustices. Memories can be "recovered" as a result of implantation by therapists, as well as by malice. They can arise falsely (as well as genuinely) when supposedly triggered by events and by reading and seeing films or television programmes.However, the BFMS is dismissive of all supposedly recovered memories, and approvingly refers to Professor Richard J. McNally of Harvard, whose book Remembering Trauma asserts that "the notion that the mind protects itself by repressing or dissociating memories of trauma, rendering them inaccessible to awareness is a piece of psychiatric folklore devoid of convincing empirical support". The controversy came to prominence in the 1980s, when child sexual abuse itself had been widely recognised for only 10 to 15 years. Professor Loftus' work has given substance to a deep scepticism about the whole notion that traumatic memories can be forgotten. She has never worked as a clinician but she has been responsible for 200 experiments with 20,000 individuals. Powerful as is her evidence that it is possible for people to testify to events that never happened by having the "memory" implanted, however, it does not negate the arguments that there can be genuine recovered memories or disprove the claim that memories can be suppressed. Dr Chris Brewin says: "The normal response is for people to remember but there appears to be a subset of people who tend to forget. With those who were abused in childhood, forgetting may be a response which helps the child to cope in the short term because it is not safe for them to remember."Child sexual abuse is a highly sensitive area, where accusations of abuse disrupt family relationships and cause immense distress. Those who tend most to doubt accusations are the families (and their advocates) who are accused or connected with the accused: the partners, brothers and sisters. Chris Freeman, consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist at Royal Edinburgh Hospital, who routinely treats all kinds of trauma, suggests that there may be something different about memories of sexual abuse within families, which may be more likely to make them forgotten, repressed or avoided.The atmosphere, then, is not conducive to calm and rational debate. Child abuse raises ambivalent responses; conviction rates are low and many people who are guilty either fail to be brought to trial or if accused are then found not guilty. In Orkney in 1991 and Shieldfield nursery, Newcastle, in 1993 false memory played a part in perpetrating gross injustices, in the one case to parents, in the other to two care workers. The British Psychological Society, in a carefully worded report in 1994, drew attention to the problems of defining repression but found evidence of genuine recovered memory. However, in 1999 the Royal College of Psychiatrists published a report that found no "empirical evidence" to support repression or dissociation, although there is "much clinical support for these concepts". It also referred to "abundant evidence" that false memories do occur. But the opposition among psychiatrists meant that the College never accepted the report and it remains no more than the views of its four - albeit distinguished - authors.Another aspect is drawn attention to by Dr Freeman: "I think one of the areas that causes confusion is that different levels of proof are needed in different situations," said Dr Freeman. "In a criminal court, beyond reasonable doubt; in a civil court, on the balance of probabilities; and in a clinical situation balancing the hierarchy of clinical responsibility to your patient, their family and to other children who might be at risk. The degree of proof that is required in a legal setting is simply not appropriate or achievable in most clinical settings."Dr Adrian Skinner, clinical psychologist and expert witness, recognises the problem that such memories do not easily lend themselves to the evidential demands of a court of law. But, he says, it is up to courts to test the validity of memories, making the obvious point that they play a vital role in all kinds of prosecutions. He personally does not believe that it is possible to invent something as "shattering" as child abuse.Indeed, there is much evidence of suppressed memory in other areas, although even this is doubted by the BFMS. Madeline Greenhalgh told me: "There are numerous claims, alleged to have been recovered, of war atrocities, by individuals who have been shown not to have been involved in the war at all." But while, perhaps inevitably given the still-developing understanding of memory, there are some professionals who do not accept the idea of recovered memory, the great majority of those professionally involved tend to think otherwise. The real disagreement tends to be between them and advocacy groups like the BFMS and its several overseas equivalents.The main issue is whether it is possible to forget something as traumatic as child sexual abuse. There are certainly false accusations and wrongful imprisonments. Certain vulnerable and suggestible people can attribute problems they experience in adulthood to childhood abuse, which did not in fact take place, if a therapist repeatedly suggests abuse as the cause of these problems. It is obvious, too, that those subjected to even true accusations will deny them. There are bizarre "memories" such as satanic abuse and alien abduction. The fact is that memory can be unreliable and, at times, grossly inaccurate, while it can also reflect past reality. The weight of the evidence, professional opinion, common sense and everyday experience is that traumatic memories can be suppressed, but others can be false. This suggests the need for a balanced approach, which has been conspicuous by its absence.Back to the front page

DSK bootyguardCop ‘hooked’ him up with orgies: reportBy LEONARD GREENE

With Post Wire Services

Last Updated: 3:27 AM, October 17, 2011

Posted: 12:40 AM, October 17, 2011

More Print A top French cop served as DSK’s personal pimp, organizing orgies for him in both France and New York, an explosive report charged yesterday.

The latest scandal involving the serial sleazeball features police, politics and prostitutes and is particularly embarrassing to the French government -- because the officer had been in line to be Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s personal bodyguard had he become president of France.

The new allegations came to light during an investigation into a ring of prostitutes that included underage teens -- although there was no suggestion that the former head of the International Monetary Fund had sex with girls under the legal age of 18.

APDominique Strauss-Kahn Sources told the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche that the 62-year-old DSK is among a group of politicians, lawyers and business leaders whose names were found in the ring’s “black book’’ of clients.

The French cop, Jean-Christophe Lagarde, also allegedly escorted ladies of the evening all the way from the French city of Lille, where the ring was headquartered, to New York for DSK.

Strauss-Kahn’s personal prostitutes were allegedly selected for him by a 62-year-old procurer named Dominique “Dodo’’ Alderweireld, who made several trips to New York when DSK was there, the French paper said.

Dodo has since been arrested.

Lagarde had wanted to head the presidential protection unit if DSK were elected -- and the two had discussed it.

But DSK’s presidential hopes fizzled after he was charged with trying to rape a Sofitel hotel maid in Midtown in May.

Investigators said the ring had brought women across the Belgian border to have sex with wealthy clients in Lille hotels, including a four-star Carlton.

Five men -- including the Carlton’s director -- have been arrested in France and charged with pimping.